Smart Energy Opportunities for the Midlands

Описание: A new report from the Midlands Engine, Smart Energy – An Energy System for the 21st Century, has put forward a plan for the Midlands to become the UK’s first Smart Energy Region, helping tackle both the cost-of-living crisis and climate change.

The report was co-authored by the Midlands Engine partnership, Siemens, the University of Birmingham and the Energy Research Accelerator. It calls for the accelerated digitisation of regional energy systems to usher in significant domestic energy savings, job creation, and support for the continued rollout of cheap, clean energy sources.

Smart energy systems can include ‘microgrids’, electric vehicles and smart meters, and would use digital technologies and artificial intelligence to balance energy needs across a network.

In the case of the Midlands, the report identifies opportunities for consumers and businesses to save up to £70bn in energy costs, while slashing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions and establishing the region as a world leader in smart energy.

The report calls for a number of initial steps to set the region on the right path, including the rollout of large-scale Smart Energy Pathfinder projects, the creation of a regional energy data taskforce, and the formation of a smart energy skills programme. It highlights the need for public sector support for decentralised energy systems, especially through more local renewable energy generation.

The Smart Energy Report is available here: https://bit.ly/3WD1UIm